Increasing public environmental awareness and concern about the consequences of atmospheric pollution has stimulated determined efforts to find an effective and economical way to clean effluent gases of industrial operations and electric power generating plants. A resulting prior art device which has served well is a separating apparatus comprising a plurality of air purification wheels disposed axially in series and having thin, rod-like spokes. The gases to be cleaned are led axially through the separating apparatus as the wheels are rotated and a water spray is delivered in contact with them. The water spray collecting on the spokes continuously during operation flows under the action of centrifugal force as the wheels are rotated, carrying solid material entrained in the water and gaseous components absorbed in the water. The resulting mixture is continuously discharged from the separating apparatus, running off the ends of the spokes into a container where it is collected for transfer away from the apparatus and the gas duct or stack in which the apparatus is installed.
This apparatus is to my knowledge the most efficient and effective heretofore available in the art for the purpose. It also has an economic advantage, initial cost comparing favorably with that of alternative apparatus in general use and operating and maintenance total cost being relatively very low.